What could be better than booze and books. True, overindulging in books won't give you a nasty headache, but both booze and books have the power to intoxicate. Some of the greatest authors in history were also legendary drinkers (not always in a healthy way, but... still). So here are a few famous authors and their signature drinks, for extra authenticity the next time you throw a literary cocktail party.
Now, I'm not advocating that you drink like these authors in your day to day life. "Write drunk, edit sober" is a cute catch phrase until you realize that drunk you is not so great at focusing or typing or coherent sentences. A couple of these authors actually died from their alcoholism or other substance abuse issues, so... I'm not saying that you should go full Jack Kerouac and road trip across America on a three month margarita bender. I, for one, have always been more of a "drink four cups of coffee and then get heart palpitations" kind of writer. To each their own.
But if you want to see if these authors' favorite drinks can spark your own creativity, I say go for it. Here's some boozy, literary inspiration. Please write responsibly.
9
Truman Capote: Screwdriver
Truman Capote called orange juice and vodka his "orange drink." It's a cute name, but less cute is the fact that the Breakfast at Tiffany'sauthor struggled with substance abuse for most of his writing career. He was pretty upfront about who he was, too: “I’m an alcoholic. I’m a drug addict. I’m homosexual. I’m a genius.”
10
William Faulkner: Mint Julep
Like any classy southern author, Faulkner enjoyed a good mint julep (preferably while sitting on a porch). And compared to some of the other authors on this list, he had a reasonably responsible idea about when to start drinking: “There is no such thing as bad whiskey. Some whiskeys just happen to be better than others. But a man shouldn’t fool with booze until he’s fifty; then he’s a damn fool if he doesn’t.”
11
Anne Sexton: Martini
Anne Sexton and her BFF Sylvia Plath liked to hit the bar for martinis after their poetry class. They would drink, complain about men, and philosophize about death. Years later, after Plath died, Sexton wrote a poem to commemorate her, recalling all their morbid conversations after school: “the one we talked of so often each time/we downed three extra dry martinis in Boston.”